Strengths:I believe one of my greatest strengths with respect to ISTE Standard #2 is that I had the chance to experience a lot of this in the classroom as a teacher in a 1:1 learning environment. I’ve lived the changes that happen when devices are introduced to a classroom. I also spent a year officially serving as a Teacher on Special Assignment focused on supporting teachers in the effective use of educational technology in their classrooms. While some of the apps used have certainly changed over the past few years, good pedagogy has not. I’ve also presented on numerous occasions on the use of educational technology in a broad sense and in the context of science and STEM education. I’m a member of ISTE, CUE, and OCCUE which are organizations that promote global learning communities in a digital age. To validate my own skillset, I’ve completed the Apple Teacher certification for Mac, iPad, and Swift Playgrounds, as well as Google Educator certification for Level 1 & Level 2.

Areas of Need:I need to stay involved in my professional learning communities that are connected to educational technology. This includes participating in other local community events such as TADL (Technology Across Digital Lines). While my personal skillset is fairly deep in this particular area, I need to do some serious work in ensuring that our team is well-versed in these areas. I’d like to explore the possibility of having our entire team complete Google Educator Level 1 certification in order to ensure a common foundation and an important skillset. I’ll also scan social media regularly to share examples of the effective use of educational technology with team members.

Next Steps:Keep track of deadlines for conference proposal submissions so that I can present. I did not submit to present for conferences this year because I wasn’t entirely sure where I’d be working (because I was looking to change jobs) and thus wasn’t sure about the feasibility of conference participation. I’d also like to resurrect EdCampNOC for next year. While it’s not specifically focused on educational technology, that is often the focus of the participant-led sessions. We took a break this year, but it should return in the fall of 2018!